According to most sources, the
Social Democratic Party was founded in 1916 as the Labor Party.
The left wing of the party split in 1930 to form the Communist
Party. Apparently, its name was changed to Social Democrats
sometime before 1940, for references to it in the 1940s are as the
Social Democrats. There is no indication of a name
change.

1.03 organizational
discontinuity

6, AC6

In 1953 a minor split occurred
when some activists joined the National Preservation Party. A
major split followed in 1954 when the Icelandic Federation of
Labour broke away, later to join the People's Union.

1.04 leadership
competition

14, AC7

The leadership apparently shifted
from Stefannsson to Gudmundsson to Valdimarsson to Jonsson during
our time period, but the process of change is not
clear.

1.05 legislative
instability

Instability is .09,
AC9

Though the Social Democrats hold
few seats in the legislature, their representation is fairly
stable, ranging only between 12 percent and 15 percent of the
seats.

1.06 electoral
instability

Instability is .10,
AC9

Legislative elections were held
in 1953, 1956, and two in 1959. The Social Democrats proportion of
the vote won was small but fairly stable, ranging from 13 percent
in 1959 to 18 percent in 1956.

Governmental Status Variables,
2.01-2.07

2.01 government
discrimination

0 for 1950-62, AC8

Government generally neutral
towards this party.

2.02 governmental
leadership

0 out of 7 for 1950-56,
AC9

2 out of 6 for 1957-62,
AC9

Emil Jonsson was prime minister
in 1958-59 when the Social Democrats attempted a minority
government.

2.03 cabinet
participation

1 out of 7 for 1950-56,
AC9

6 out of 6 for 1957-62,
AC9

Social Democrats were represented
in the cabinet in 1956-58 when in coalition with the progressives
and people's union, in 1958-59 when alone in a minority
government, and in 1959-62, in coalition with the Independence
Party.

2.04 national
participation

5 for 1950-62, AC6

Nationally oriented party but
much stronger in cities along the southwestern coast.

2.05 legislative
strength

Strength is .13 for 1950-56, AC9
and .14 for 1957-62, AC9

Though the Social Democrats hold
few seats in the legislature, their representation is fairly
stable, ranging only between 12 percent and 15 percent of the
seats.

2.06 electoral
strength

Strength is .17 for 1950-56, AC9
and .14 for 1957-62, AC9

Legislative elections were held
in 1953, 1956, and two in 1959. The Social Democrats proportion of
the vote won was small but fairly stable, ranging from 13 percent
in 1959 to 18 percent in 1956.

2.07 outside origin

8, AC3

It appears that the party was
formed by labor leaders.

Issue Orientation Variables, 5.01-5.15

5.01 ownership of means of
production

5 for 1950-62, AC6

Advocates state ownership of
industries. Favors socialization of industries still under private
ownership.

5.02 government role in economic
planning

3 for 1950-62, AC9

Favors government regulation of
economy by subsidies, price and wage ceilings, revaluation of the
currency, and other efforts to balance the budget.

5.03 redistribution of
wealth

1 for 1950-62, AC3

Favors redistribution by
adjusting the tax scale.

5.04 social welfare

5 for 1950-62, AC8

Programs for universal medical
care, care for the aged, and child welfare already exist and are
supported by party at local levels.

5.05 secularization of
society

3 for 1950-62, AC9

Supports clergy by state since 97
percent of population belongs to state church. There is no
compulsion and freedom of conscience is protected.

5.06 support of the
military

5 for 1950-62, AC9

Anti-military, and favors
continuation of no armed forces .

5.07 alignment with east-west
blocs

2 for 1950-62, AC5

Favors continued membership in
NATO, though advocates Icelandic control of U.S. military base
during times of peace.

5.08 anti-colonialism

3 for 1950-56, AC8 -

1 for 1957-62, AC8

The Social Democrats have been
concerned about the U.S. influence on Iceland because of the NATO
military base. They once favored the withdrawal of NATO forces.
But since 1956 and the soviet suppression of Hungary, the party
shifted its position to supporting the U.S. military presence,
established under a 1951 agreement that makes the U.S. responsible
for Icelandic defense.

5.09 supranational
integration

AC2

No information.

5.10 national
integration

AC2

Government has allowed regional
expression, but the small size of the population makes political
issues national issues. Further, close to 65 percent of the
population lives near Reykjavik.

5.11 electoral
participation

5 for 1950-62, AC9

Party supports the maintenance of
universal suffrage.

5.12 protection of civil
rights

AC1

No information.

5.13 interference with civil
liberties

3 for 1950-62, AC6

Recognizes freedom of press and
no censorship.

5.14 / 5.15 us--soviet experts
left-right ratings

U.S. says 3, non-communist
left

Soviets say 2, party of workers,
white collar workers, petty bourgeois. Party program of 1963 is
reformist.

Goal Orientation Variables, 6.01-6.55

6.00 open competition in the
electoral process

4 for 1950-62, AC9

Relies on open
competition.

6.10 restricting party
competition

0 for 1950-62, AC9

Does not rely on restricting
party competition.

6.20 subverting the political
system

0 for 1950-62, AC9

Does not rely on subverting the
electoral process.

6.30 propagandizing ideas and
program

6.31 2, AC8. The party owns and
operates a daily newspaper.

6.32 AC1. No
information.

6.33 1 for first half, AC6 and
for second half, AC1. Various resolutions were passed during the
first half of our time period, however there is no indication of
whether this activity continued into the second half of our time
period.

6.34 AC1. No
information.

6.50 providing for welfare of
party members

6.51, 6.52, 6.53, 6.55 AC1. No
information.

6.54 AC2. Insufficient
information.

Autonomy Variables, 7.01-7.05

7.01 sources of funds

AC1

No information

7.02 source of
members

AC1

No information

7.03 sources of
leaders

3 (sector 1), AC3

Leaders are from labor groups and
leftist organizations.

7.04 relations with domestic
parties

6 for 1950-56, AC5

4 for 1957-62, AC9

Excepting 1956, the Social
Democrats were not involved in a governmental alliance during the
first half of the time period. The existence of parliamentary
alliances during this time is unknown. The score is something less
than complete autonomy, however, because of the year in a
governing coalition. For the second half of the time period, the
Social Democrats were involved in a governing coalition for all
but two years, when they formed a minority government with no more
autonomy.

7.05 relations with foreign
organizations

3 for 1950-62, AC6
Icelandic Social Democrats were charter members of the Socialist
International, founded in 1951, and remained members throughout
our time period.

Organizational Complexity Variables,
8.01-8.07

8.01 structural
articulation

2 for 1950-62, AC7

The executive board is the
national organ of party leadership, and factions often involve
internal party feuds and struggles for the chairmanship and
leadership of the party.

8.02 intensiveness of
organization

5 for 1950-62, AC8

The party has chapters in all
communities.

8.03 extensiveness of
organization

5 for 1950-62, AC3

The party has local chapters in
each community and at the university, but as the weakest of the
four parties it draws most of its support from the non communist
industrial unions and some craft unions in and around
Reykjavik.

8.04 frequency of local
meetings

AC1

No information

8.05 frequency of national
meetings

2 for 1950-62, AC6

Literature mentioned the annual
meeting of the executive board.

8.06 maintaining
records

2, AC5

The party publishes a daily
newspaper. There is no information as to whether it has an archive
or keeps membership lists.

8.07 pervasivess of
organization

9 for 1950-62, AC3

Has control of a few
non-communist labour unions, and some auxiliary women's and youth
organizations.

Organizational Power Variables,
9.01-9.08

9.01 nationalization of
structure

AC2

No information.

9.02 selecting the national
leader

7 for 1950-62, AC9

Executive board has control over
party leadership when power struggles within the party threaten
the unity of the organization. Power struggle over leadership
between Stefansson and Valdemarsson from 1952-56.

9.03 selecting parliamentary
candidates

AC1

No information

9.04 allocating funds

AC1

No information

9.05 formulating
policy

6 for 1950-62, AC8

The party has experienced various
leadership changes. The policy making body that generally has
emerged is the party's executive board.

9.06 controlling
communications

7 for 1950-62, AC8

The party owns a daily newspaper,
but the circulation is not as widespread as the other parties'
papers.

9.07 administering
discipline

4 for 1950-62, AC8

The executive board of the party
has taken action against its members, for example, Valdemarsson's
expulsion from the party in 1956.

9.08 leadership
concentration

3 for 1950-62, AC3
The executive committee of the party makes decisions in various
areas, and it has emerged as the party organ of policy, expressing
the views of the dominant leadership faction at the time.

Coherence Variables, 10.01-10.06

10.01 legislative
cohesion

AC1

No information

10.02 ideological
factionalism

5 for 1950-62, AC9

There is a radical faction within
the party whose adherents have left, or have considered leaving,
in controversies over radical or more moderate policies on labour,
foreign affairs, and the economy.

10.03 issue
factionalism

1 for 1950-62, AC3

Issues are debated among leaders,
but factions generally divide along leadership or ideological
lines.

10.04 leadership
factionalism

6 for 1950-56, AC8

Party leadership struggles
between two distinct factions which involved intense rivalry from
1953-54, when one of the leaders was ousted .

10.05 strategic or tactical
factionalism

5 for 1950-56, AC6

During the first time period,
there was intense debate and struggle over labour position and
whether to cooperate with left parties.

10.06 party purges

0 for 1950-62, AC8

There were no purges in our time
period.

Involvement Variables, 11.01-11.06

11.01 membership
requirements

AC1

No information.

11.02 membership
participation

AC2

Insufficient
information.

11.03 material
incentives

1 for 1950-62, AC3

Party militants pushed for
resolution on U.S. withdrawal from the military base because they
did not benefit materially from the contracts.

11.04 purposive
incentives

1 for 1950-62, AC3

The realization of a true
socialist state is presumably a goal of at least a sizable
minority of party militants.

11.05 doctrinism

1 for 1950-62, AC3

Marxist literature probably forms
the basis of party doctrine.

11.06 personalism

0 for 1950-62, AC3

Charismatic leadership does not
seem to be a factor in the Social Democratic Party.